Sonora

Mexico will export more than 12,000 tons of broccoli from San Luis to the US

According to Jose de Jesus Bustamante Salcido, a producer and entrepreneur, San Luis will export approximately 10,000 to 12,597 tons of broccoli to the United States, Canada and, in a smaller portion, to Japan. This exports will be possible thanks to the planting, cultivation, and harvest works carried out by San Luis' workforce, he added, a little more than a month before the end of the cycle.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), this year the planting area is 839.8 hectares, with a production ranging from 12 to 15 tons per each.

From 2017 to date, San Luis has exported 32,326 to 40,408 tons of broccoli thanks to its quality, which is the result of the producers' good cultivation techniques.

The sowing area has decreased. In 2017 producers planted 991.36 hectares. Last year there were 862.5 hectares, and this year there only are 839.8, according to historical data of the Sader, which is led by engineer Luis Cervantes Sandoval in San Luis.

The producer said this was a good year, as the average production ranged from 1,500 to 2,000 boxes per hectare.

"Each producer has its own presentation, as there are different presentation sizes. Some producers only send the flower and others ship the broccoli with its stems. The broccoli for export to Japan is injected with ice so it can stand the trip there. That's the smallest part of the production and it is made from the port of Long Beach," he said.

He added that the production of vegetables remains active during the winter season with products such as chives, carrots, celery, and radishes, among others.

Although historical figures show a reduction in the planting area of 151.56 hectares between 2017 and 2019, Bustamante Salcido considered that broccoli planting continued on track, and that it had a positive demand thanks to the good planting techniques of San Luis producers.

"Broccoli and chives are the products that demand the most labor. Broccoli, for example, requires 20 people per hectare for harvesting, not counting planting, irrigation, and cultivation," he concluded.